Glen Cove High unveils Ground Zero steel

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Glen Cove High School Principal Joseph Hinton recently unveiled a piece of an I-beam recovered from the World Trade Center site.

The piece was donated by the family of NYPD Sgt. Peter Curley, a member of the city’s Emergency Services Unit and a first responder at the World Trade Center for both the 1993 and 2001 attacks. Curley, who died at age 62 in 2007 from respiratory disease, was a longtime member of the Glen Cove community.

“Special people do special things, and what Sergeant Curley did for our country in a time of crisis was certainly special,” Hinton said. “We have a saying here at Glen Cove High School: ‘Be proud of who you are, where you come from, and what you stand for.’ We are all proud of Sgt. Curley and what he stood for, and we know our students will benefit from learning about him and go on to do special things of their own.”

Glen Cove City Police Officer Mike Napoli thought the beam would serve as a powerful educational tool for students.

Curley’s widow, Mary Ann, and Hinton both agreed.

Mary Ann Curley and other members of the Curley family visited Glen Cove High School shortly after the 10th anniversary to present the beam.

A display case is being created in the school’s lobby as the permanent home for the beam.